"Father, you should rest."
I didn't raise my voice.
I didn't need to.
The room fell silent anyway.
He still sat with his vassal, buried in discussion, chasing solutions that no longer existed. The weight on his shoulders was obvious, fatigue etched into every line of his face.
"This matter… leave it to me."
"Erik…" he exhaled, his voice rough. "I'm sorry I wasn't there-"
"That doesn't matter."
I cut him off, not harshly, but precisely.
I took a seat across from him, posture relaxed, gaze steady. No hesitation. No uncertainty.
Only control.
"What matters is what we do now."
His vassal stilled. My father's eyes sharpened, studying me more carefully this time.
Good.
He was starting to pay attention.
"I already have a solution." I continued.
Not entirely true.
But certainty is more convincing than accuracy.
"I know someone who can help us."
That was enough.
No names. No details.
Just a statement placed exactly where doubt used to be.
In my previous life, when I stood powerless, I could only watch everything collapse.
Someone else rose.
Someone who fought for freedom.
For the people.
Someone the world underestimated… until it was too late.
My gaze darkened slightly.
"He's still young," I said.
A brief pause.
"But he's a genius."
And this time....
He would stand on my side.
"I've already tasked the Golden Mask with finding him," I said calmly. "They should arrive any moment now."
I let the words settle.
"They're efficient… especially when the target has something to lose."
Because he did.
And that was all I needed.
My final piece.
The one who would lead us to victory.
Not through brute force, but through precision.
An assassin feared not for his blade, but for his mind. A man who could dismantle lives, organizations… even nations, without ever being seen.
In my past life, he wasn't just dangerous.
He was inevitable.
The silence in the room stretched, thick, heavy
until it was broken by a knock.
Right on time.
"They're here," I said.
I gave a small gesture, and the maid moved to open the door.
It creaked open slowly.
And there he was.
Kai Foster.
The boy, the future would come to fear as the Silent Killer.
He didn't look the part.
Not yet.
Innocent.
Calm.
Almost gentle.
Long white hair framed his face, soft against pale skin untouched by bloodshed. His eyes, blue, laced with violet, caught the light, clear and bright enough to disarm anyone who looked too long.
Beautiful.
Disarming.
I studied him quietly.
Yes…
No one would ever suspect what he would become.
"Come here, Kai."
We may not have met before…
But before sending the Golden Mask, I had already prepared everything.
A letter.
Information.
Enough to guide him to the same conclusion I reached.
This was the real test.
He stepped forward.
Silent.
Almost unnaturally so.
No wasted movement. No unnecessary sound.
Impressive.
"I know how to strike."
No hesitation.
No questions.
Only certainty.
"We can use his vassals against him," Kai said calmly. "They were beside the king when he fell. And the common people to fight for the unfair and corrupt king. We will let them turn into each other."
A brief pause.
"I have eyes and ears among them."
I watched him closely.
Still. Precise.
Controlled.
Then,
He added,
"…some of them don't realize they're mine yet."
Silence.
No change in expression.
No hint of arrogance.
As if what he just said… was normal.
Interesting.
"Give me a few days," Kai continued, tone unchanged. "I can make them turn on each other."
A faint pause.
"Or disappear."
Not a threat.
Not a boast.
Just options.
I held his gaze.
And for the briefest moment,
I saw it.
Not emotion.
Not intent.
Capability.
Good.
He wasn't just potential.
He was already dangerous.
"And you're telling me this," I said calmly, "because…?"
A slight tilt of his head.
That same quiet, unreadable expression.
"Because you already knew," Kai replied.
A beat.
"And you still called for me."
…Sharp.
A slow smile touched my lips.
Perfect.
"We'll leave this matter to you, then."
My father's voice cut through the tension, steady and absolute. The air shifted instantly, his authority still undeniable.
Kai didn't bow.
Didn't flinch.
Instead, a faint smirk touched his lips.
"You won't regret it… Golden Lion."
Bold.
Too bold for most.
But not incorrect.
"Then it's settled," my father said.
He rose from his seat, and the room seemed to follow.
"From this moment on, you will carry out Kai's orders. Treat his words as my own."
A pause.
"We prepare… for what's coming."
Not a suggestion.
An order.
"Yes, Master."
The vassals stood in unison, bowing deeply before the head of the Golden Lion.
I watched it all in silence.
Pieces moving.
Positions shifting.
Control… taking form.
And at the center of it
Kai.
The room didn't just feel cold. It felt empty.
Kai's smirk didn't reach his eyes. It remained fixed, a sharp, artificial curve on a face built for deception. He stood, his presence flickering like a shadow under a dying candle.
"The Captain of the arresting unit... he has a daughter," Kai murmured.
He didn't wait for me to ask.
"She's been 'sick' for weeks. The Royal Physicians couldn't find the cause. They don't know that I am the reason. And tonight... I will be the cure."
He walked toward the door, his steps making no sound on the rugs. He stopped, his head tilting back toward me.
"By the time they reach the gate, the Captain won't be looking for a General. He'll be looking for his daughter's life. He will take you quietly. He will hide you to 'protect' his deal. You won't just be a prisoner, Mister... you'll be his secret."
I watched him, my mind already calculating the efficiency of the play.
"And the other guards?" I asked.
"They've already heard the rumors," Kai replied. "That the General's son is a fragile, dying thing. That taking him is an act of mercy compared to a war. I've spent the last hour ensuring those rumors became 'facts' in their minds."
He reached for the handle.
"I'll be at the border. When the first torch hits the gate, the music starts."
The door opened and closed. Silent.
I was alone with Sebastian. The butler didn't speak, but I could feel the tremor in his mana. He knew what was coming. The "weak" son was about to walk into the mouth of the snake, and he had to be the one to hand me over.
"Sebastian," I said, staring at my reflection in the window. My eyes were steady. "Prepare the 'Cursed' cuffs. If I'm going to play the part of a fallen master, I need to look the part of a man whose power has been stripped away."
I sat back down, waiting.
Two hours.
The Mastermind had fixed the body. Now, the Mastermind would break the kingdom.